Reaching Out
by ConnorZipcode
Summary: Humphrey and Kate have just been married and meet up with their friends Connor and Natalie. Connor, a shy and reclusive wolf, and Humphrey, the fun-loving omega, are the best of friends, but when it comes to love, Connor is sorely lacking. Rated T just in case.
1. Chapter 1

Reaching Out

Chapter 1

As a cool breeze swept across the rocky hills and green plains, the wide fields of tall grass waved and rippled like a vast, placid lake disturbed by a single stone. Mixed in with the rush of grass and trees was the roar of water cascading hundreds of feet down an immense waterfall, crashing violently to the rocks below.

Gazing out upon the natural beauty that was Jasper Park, a solitary wolf sat silently atop a hill, drinking in the quiet scene before him with calm, relaxed, reverence.

This wolf appeared to be nothing special, he was of average height, the fur on his back a medium-dark grey, quickly shading up towards white as it reached his chest, stomach, and paws. His tail, the same color as his back, curled off to his right and rested on the warm dirt, cool grass, and soft moss. His eyes, a greyish light-blue, smoothly glided over the trees and grass, the mountains and valleys, the shimmering waters and clear blue sky.

The wolf silently listened to the soothing whisper and low rush of the world around him. His ears twitched as he heard the faint noise of voices far off in the distance, and he turned his head to face the commotion that was taking place down in the valley. He watched as two wolfs at the center of a large circle of others walked towards each other and proceeded to sniff each other, nibble each other's ears, and finally rub noses, consummating their marriage.

As he looked closer, the wolf recognized both of those in question. The one on the right, a grey and somewhat disheveled male, was Humphrey, while the one on the left, a lean and golden-tan female, was Kate. He had heard about the two quite a bit lately, which was to be expected since they were the first couple in pack history to have ever been between an alpha and an omega, bringing with them the annulment of an age old law forbidding such a marriage.

As he watched, a second couple came forward from the crowd and performed the same ritual of marriage. These two he had also heard about, the male, tall, strong, with reddish-tan fur, was the alpha Garth. With him was a smaller figure, a white female who he recognized as the omega Lilly.

The moment both couples had finished the ceremony, a chorus of loud cheers, cries, and howling rang out from the crowd, all celebrating the joyful event.

The wolf, sitting alone on his hill, turned his eyes away, feeling loneliness and pain battle with pride and happiness for control of his heart.

* * *

After a couple more hours of silent sitting and watching, the wolf quietly padded down towards where the others from the celebration had gone, back towards the dens.

The wolf eventually came upon the crowd of happy, loud wolfs, the air filled with loud talking, low murmurs, and joyous cheers for the two newly wed couples, who sat in the middle of it all. Humphrey and Kate were constantly nodding their heads and thanking the many lookers on who wished to congratulate them on their marriage and say how lucky they were to have found each other. Garth and Lilly were doing much the same thing, Garth happily accepting the praise and congratulations while Lilly seemed somewhat uncomfortable with all the attention, standing somewhat behind and off to the side of Garth with her head tilted slightly down and her eyes, semi-hidden beneath her hair, flitting between garth, the delighted congratulators, and the ground.

The wolf, greatly disliking crowds, stood a sat distance from the mob of wolfs, watching the two happy couples as the crowd began to dwindle from Kate and Humphrey, and move over to Garth and Lilly. Humphrey appeared to be getting tired, his posture slightly more slouched, his ears just a little wilted, and the happy glint in his eyes somewhat subdued. Humphrey then noticed the wolf sitting apart from the rest, preferring to stay back and watch from the comfort of a shady tree rather than join the press of wolfs, and pointed him out to his new wife Kate, whispering in to her ear something none but they could hear.

The moment the last congratulator had left, Humphrey and Kate walked toward the aloof wolf, who, noticing their attention, stood up and began to walk in their direction. Seeing the wolf had perked up Humphrey, leaving a little more bounce in his step and bringing the cheerful gleam back to his now tired eyes.

"Hey Connor, why are you sitting way back here and not joining in the fun" Humphrey asked the wolf, a slight frown of concern on his face.

"Oh, you know me, I hate crowds" Connor replied with a small shrug and a glance at Kate as she walked up next to Humphrey.

"Hi, I'm Kate", Kate said as she shook Connor's paw, "Connor right? Humphrey has told me about you a couple of time."

"Yeah, that's me, the guy who got lost when you came back from Alpha School and the whole Idaho thing happened" Connor replied with an ashamed and embarrassed expression on his face.

"Yeah, well I guess you had your own little adventure while we had ours" Humphrey said, nudging Connor companionably.

Connor quietly chuckled and said "anyway, congratulations you two, I'm glad I at least got see the wedding."

Humphrey looked up to the sky with a groan "like I haven't heard that enough for a lifetime."

Every one chuckled and Humphrey asked "Hey, I don't think I actually saw you at the wedding, where were you?"

"I was up on my hill when it happened, just watching and listening to Jasper" Connor said with a far off glance toward the hill from which he observed the world.

Connor snapped back to reality and asked "I'm surprised I didn't see Natalie down there, do you know what happened to her?"

"No," Humphrey replied "I saw her earlier, but I don't know what happened to her."

"Oh, I talked to her," Kate said "she said she wouldn't be able to make it because of some family stuff."

"Well that sucks, it _was_ a nice wedding." Connor said, wondering what could have been so important to have caused Natalie to miss something as important as a wedding.

"That's fine, she'll probably have a ton of questions about it I'll have to answer" Kate said with a slight smile.

"Well, it was nice to see you two, I think it's about time I go back to my den and get some sleep" Connor said and wave as he walked off.

As he walked, Connor listened to the faint patting of his paws on the ground and the swish of wind through leaves in the trees, feeling both happiness and pride to know that his best friend had finally gotten to marry the girl he had been in loved with his entire life, and pain and loneliness that he did not have anyone in his life to make him so happy. When Connor entered his den and lay down to sleep, these emotions still tossed and turned in him as he slowly fell asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's**** Notes (AN):Well, I got my very first chapter up two days ago, I hope you liked it. It's kind of surprising how good it feels to get a review on the story, it tells me that someone read my story and liked it enough to say so. I would like to say thank you to 'Humphrey Loves Kate' for being my first ever review and being so encouraging.**

Reaching Out

Chapter 2

Connor woke from his uneasy sleep to the rustling of leaves and the chirp of tiny, brightly colored birds high up in the dark green foliage surrounding the entrance to his den. After a few minutes of simply listening to the cheerful songs of the small animals, he decided to get up and walk outside. Spread out before the entrance was a small, flat, region devoid of rocks and covered in a thin layer of soft, new, bright green grass. No more than a couple of yards away, the grass abruptly ended in a steep drop off lined with protruding stones and tightly packed dirt.

As soon as he came to the entrance, Connor was greeted by a magnificent view, the sun, having just come up, had colored the long strips of cloud a mix of deep purple, and a yellowish orange. Walking out and sitting a mere few inches away from the cliff, Connor gazed out at the trees below him, the bright orange showing between the leaves and creating a dark silhouette of broad branches, clumped leaves, and a twinkling orange shimmer as the breeze rustled the leaves, letting light sparkle through like bright orange stars on an ever shifting sky. The shadow cast by the trees left a black shape stretched out across the hills, outlined by a faint orange-yellow glow.

Though this view had greeted him in the morning for as long as he could remember, it never failed to astound him that something so beautiful could ever exist and that he could be there to see it every day.

After marveling at the regal splendor of nature, Connor turned and walked down the small path cleverly hidden behind a bush that reached slightly up over his head. The path, though well used, was difficult to spot for anyone not already familiar with it, only visible if one was either on it, or looking very closely. Connor's den was one of his most dearly kept secrets, never letting anyone but Humphrey see it, even then requiring a solemn oath to never tell anyone where it was. In addition to hating crowds, Connor tried to avoid contact with others who weren't a part of his small group of friends, preferring solitude over company.

As Connor walked through the forest, his ears twitched, picking up the nearly inaudible whisper of distant conversation. His interest peaked, he began to walk toward a nearby clearing from which the voices were coming. As he approached, Connor recognized two of the voices and possible the third, the two, Humphrey and Kate, were talking animatedly to a third party who spoke far less, but with more intent. Though this voice seemed hauntingly familiar, He still couldn't pin down the identity of the unknown speaker.

As he approached the tree line, the conversation became clearer, Humphrey and Kate were talking about the wedding, happily describing every moment and detail as the silent other either listened or asked the occasional question.

As he left the trees behind and approached the group, Connor saw the third wolf, who he recognized as Natalie. She was very similar to Connor, The fur on her back a slightly lighter shade of grey which turned white as it came to her underbelly and paws, but somewhat later, changing color roughly half of the way down her legs, but without the lighter fur on the inside of the legs that Connor had. Her tail, more pointed than Connor's, was the same grey color and groomed so that all the fur ran cleanly to the tip. Her eyes were a deep shade of green, similar to the color of mature pine needles in winter, and shifted between Kate and Humphrey as they both took turns talking.

Because Connor walked so quietly, none of the three noticed him until he walked up behind Humphrey, sat down, and asked "What are you all talking about?"

At that, Humphrey jumped, letting out a muffled squeaky yip of surprise and whirling around to face Connor, his fur on end, his tail out straight, and a shocked and slightly scared expression on his face.

As if on cue, everyone cracked up, laughing hysterically at Humphrey's now ashamed and embarrassed expression, and puffed up fur.

"Oh yeah, very funny" Humphrey grumbled in a sarcastic and slightly irritated voice, making a "not amused" face at Connor

"Wow that's great, and it wasn't even on purpose" Connor managed to get out between fits of laughter.

"You have to admit, that was funny" Kate said to Humphrey with small chuckle and smile.

"Oh, so now you're on his side. Great, my new mate has turned against me" Humphrey said with a slight chuckle and a voice dripping with sarcasm.

Humphrey turned to Connor and asked "How long were you sitting there?"

"Not long, just long enough to sit down and, apparently, scare your fur off" Connor replied with a slight smirk.

"Yeah, well… you suck" Humphrey replied grudgingly, whacking Connor lightly on the shoulder.

"Hey Connor, I haven't seen you in a while, how have you been?" Natalie asked, leaning to the side to see around Humphrey get a good view of Connor.

"Um, ok I guess," Connor said, shifting to the side so neither of them had to look around Humphrey, "Nothing special, but not bad."

"So, what did you think of the wedding?" Natalie said, wanting to hear something from someone other than Humphrey or Kate.

"Actually, I wasn't at the wedding. I was over on top of my hill when it all happened, but I could see it just fine." Connor replied, shrugging.

"That's a pity, Kate and Humphrey told me it was really nice." Natalie replied in a sad tone.

"Well, you know how I feel about crowds, and that was a pretty big crowd" Connor replied in a slightly depressed voice.

"Yeah, just imagine how it feels being in the middle with everyone looking at you" Humphrey added.

Connor shivered at the thought and looked down with a slight frown etched on his face. Noticing his distress, Natalie walked over and sat down next to him, lightly bumping her shoulder to his companionably, making Connor's head lift and, glancing at Natalie, bumping her back , his face still tilted down, but with a slight smile.

"Aw, how cute" Kate said, breaking the silence.

Now thoroughly embarrassed, Connor stared intently at ground in front of him, his paws fidgeting in the dust, trying to distract himself from the hot sensation in his face and ears as he blushed, though his fur did a good job of hiding it. Backing up with his head still down, Connor muttered "I think I'll go home now." With that, he turned and ran back to the woods with his tail listlessly hanging just behind his legs and his ears flattened to the back of his head.

"Aw, you made him feel bad" Natalie said, getting up and chasing after him. Connor disappeared as he entered the trees and, when Natalie reached where she had last seen him, he had vanished. Even when Natalie managed to pick up his scent, it seemed to stop at some particularly strong smelling bushes, overpowering his scent and stumping any attempt to follow.

"Wow, I feel terrible, I didn't think he'd react like that." Kate said glancing ashamedly at Humphrey.

"Don't worry, he'll calm down soon." Humphrey replied, leaning over and nosing Kate.

"Ok, I just hope I didn't upset him too much" Kate replied as Natalie returned from the trees.

"He just disappeared" Natalie said in an amazed voice, glancing over her shoulder at where Connor had run back into the forest.

"Yeah, he's pretty good at that" Humphrey said, also glancing behind Natalie at where he had last seen Connor.

* * *

After running for a good four or five minute, Connor slowed to a light trot and made his way to the bottom of the trail leading to his den. As leaves rustled and crunched under his paws, he thought about what had just happened. He didn't understand why Kate's remark had had such a strong effect on him. Love had always been somewhat mysterious to him, and any conversation about it that involved him either made him depressed or slightly uncomfortable, but never that much. Also strange was how he had felt when Natalie had touched his shoulder, but he shrugged it off as comfort from Natalie being nice. Even odder was how he felt when he left, most of him had wanted to run, find a safe and empty place with no one around, but a small part of him had been sad about leaving, particularly about leaving Natalie.

Connor took his time walking back, letting the forest around him and the soft rustle of leaves disturbed by a constant breeze calm him and let him think. By the time he got back to his den, the sun was already setting, illuminating the entrance to his den with a soft orange light which entered his den and left an interesting pattern of light and dark as rocks and small protrusions from the uneven walls blocked parts of the light, leaving long, sharp streaks of shadow behind them.

The sight, though stunning, failed to gain Connor's attention, as he was far to distracted by his own thoughts to notice. These thoughts jockeyed for his attention as he lay down, closed his eyes, and tried to fall asleep.


	3. Chapter 3

Reaching Out

Chapter 3

Waking from his restless sleep, Connor still had no better an understanding of the day before than he had when he fell asleep, still confused and curious. His mind, still buzzing with thoughts and memories, went over and over the events, playing back the whole conversation and remembering the emotions and unknown sensations that had flooded through him in that small moment of contact.

Connor lay awake in his den, the light from the now risen sun shining in through the entrance and illuminating the ground a few feet away from him in stark contrast to the otherwise dark hollow. Unlike most other dens in Jasper, Connor's den went both back and sideways from the entrance, leaving the spaces to the sides much darker, but also surprisingly warm. As the sun beat down on the dirt in the middle of the den, heat seeped into the air and the dark, side compartments.

After an hour or so of simply relaxing, trying to let the events of yesterday go for now, Connor decided to get up, go outside, and view the scene that played out before him every morning. As he approached the entrance, Connor heard a faint, but not far off, rustling. Somewhat alarmed by this, Connor ran to the front of his den and pulled down on a stick that hung down in front and off to the side of the entrance. As soon as the stick came loose, big, green, and thickly leaved branches swung in from the sides, effectively camouflaging the entrance of the den. At the same time, a strong, yet pleasant smell wafted into the den, overpowering all other smells, but without causing discomfort. The smell was similar to that of vanilla, but with a hint of lavender that, though slight, did not pass unnoticed.

Connor waited for a minute before he heard the other exit the large bush that covered the path and walk out on to the flat, grassy space in front of his now hidden den. The other walked around, the soft whisper of paws on grass audible through the leafy cover, and sniffed at the ground, picking up Connor's scent, though it was old and hard to follow with the strong smell emanating from the surrounding plants.

The other, now thoroughly confused, called out in a loud voice "Connor? Where are you?", then mumbled to himself "huh, I could swear this was the place."

The voice was Humphrey's. Realizing this, Connor stood up and pushed his way through the leaves to greet Humphrey. Hearing the movement behind him, Humphrey spun around, looking as if he was going to run. As soon as he saw Connor's face poke out through the leaves, he calmed down, his stance relaxing, and his fur settling back down on his back.

"Oh, you have to stop doing that!" Humphrey said, letting out a loud breath.

"What? This time you snuck up on me." Connor said, exiting the branches fully and sitting down.

"Anyway, I came up here to check on you, Kate is kind of concerned, after how you just disappeared and all" Humphrey said, then he looked around Connor at the wall of foliage and asked "Where is your den? Wasn't it here?"

"Oh, yeah it's just behind the branches" Connor replied, pushing back the branches and replacing the stick that held them back.

"Wow, how did you do that?" Humphrey exclaimed, looking closely at the vines wrapped around the stick and stuck to the branches, attached by thick leaves covered in sap.

"Well, I just stuck some vines on to these branches, tied them down, to make them grow down like that, and then, after they finished growing and wouldn't bend any more, I pulled them back with the vines. Now if I hook the vines on this stick it holds them back away from the entrance, but when I pull the stick, it releases the vines and they fall back." Connor replied, gesturing at pieces of the mechanism as he explained.

"Cool, did someone teach you that or did you figure it out on your own?" Humphrey asked.

"Made it up myself," Connor answered, walking into the now open den and then saying "you can come in if you want."

Humphrey nodded, said "Thanks.", and followed Connor in to his den.

"So, Kate's concerned about me?" Connor asked, sitting down a few feet away from the entrance, Humphrey sitting in the sunlight from the opening.

"Yeah, she wanted me to talk to you and ask if you would come down with us and Natalie to the creek." Humphrey said, his voice and eyes hopeful.

"Sure, that sounds fun." Connor replied, cheering up at the thought.

"Great, are you going to go now or do you need a bit to get ready?" Humphrey asked, standing up and making as if to leave.

"No, I'm good, let's go." Connor said, standing up and walking outside, leading Humphrey to the trail.

Connor and Humphrey made their way down the path, wrapping around the side of the steep hill in a large circle. The walk took the two all the way around the hill, giving an ever-changing view of the many hills and fields of Jasper. The many rocky cliffs, lit on the sunward side, were topped and surrounded by green fields of grass with light purple and orange flowers spread across the middle like a colorful and constantly shifting carpet. The trees on the sparsely wooded cliffs stood out, tall green spires with a medium brown center, standing in sharp contrast to the bright blue and slightly cloudy sky in the background. Between the cliffs were low valleys covered in shortly cropped grass and patches tan dirt, the caribou had recently been there and left large patches of trodden and grazed grass along with unsettled earth.

As they walked, a breeze was constantly blowing through the forest, rustling bushes, moving dry red, yellow, and orange leaves, and breaking the hush with a quiet rush and whistle as it passed through trees and over rocks. As they got closer to the creek, the sound of happy voices and conversation floated from far off in the direction Connor and Humphrey were traveling.

"So, how have you and Kate been doing?" Connor asked, trying to start a conversation as they walked.

"We've been doing great," Humphrey replied "it's almost like a dream; I never honestly thought that I would ever even get to go to the moonlight howl with her, much less marry her. Every morning I wake up and think 'that must have been a dream', but then I look back and see her lying there asleep, her eyes closed and the light making her fur sort of glow at the edges, and I think 'Wow, I can't believe I'm this lucky', it's just amazing."

"Sounds like it…"Connor said, trailing off on the last word and sounding somewhat subdued.

Humphrey mistook this for thoughtfulness and asked "So, do you have anyone special on your mind?" sounding both sincere and slightly teasing.

"Well, I don't really know, I've always been kind of afraid to ever let anything like that in my head. It's like I'm afraid that something bad will happen if I do feel like that, that the person I like won't like me back in that way and then it'll get really awkward between us and I'll never be around them without knowing that they never liked me back." Connor replied, relieved to both finally tell someone why he was afraid, and admit it to himself.

"Hey, if anything like that did happen, I'd always be there for you. So, you do have someone you're thinking about?" Humphrey replied, nudging Connor's shoulder playfully and to give support.

"I guess, you know how some say that you don't even have to talk when you're with that special person, and just being with them makes you happy? It was kind of like that; when Natalie nudged me yesterday it made me feel happy, but not just my normal happy, it was…different" Connor explained, not sure if he would regret telling Humphrey such personal thoughts and feelings.

"That sure sounds like what Kate and I have, why haven't you asked her out to the moonlight howl?" Humphrey asked, ducking his head to see Connor's eyes.

"I don't know, I just never thought about her like that, it just seemed wrong, but I don't know why. Maybe I'm just afraid." Connor said, looking off into the distance.

Connor and Humphrey continued to walk, the sun shining through the branches and warming their backs and lighting up the ground in ever shifting patterns of light and dark. The quiet gurgle of flowing water off in the distance reached their ears, and the sound of laughter and happy chatting floated out across the flat lands and hilly forest.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: I finally figured out where I want the story to go for a while, or at least the next few chapters. I will be gone for about a week as of Saturday 7/7/12, but I might be able to get a bit of writing done, if I'm lucky. Also, I'm kind of sad that no one reviewed on chapter 3, and I know people have been reading it. If you read the chapter and liked it, or found something wrong with it, or if you just want to say something (try to keep it about the story), tell me, reviews help keep me motivated and happy. I could compare it to getting a present, I get all excited when an email pops up about a review, and then I read it and I feel great hearing from you all. Any way, I hope you like the chapter, read on.**

* * *

Reaching Out

Chapter 4

Connor and Humphrey approached the creek, watching as Kate and Natalie sat halfway in the water, letting it wash over their legs and chests as they happily chatted with each other. As they walked, Humphrey gave Connor a mischievous glance and Connor, confused, hung back as Humphrey snuck up behind Kate and Natalie. As he got closer to the creek, Humphrey picked up speed and prepared to jump. As he leapt into the air, he cried out "HAAAAAAAAAA" and then plummeted down, splashing a huge wave of water over the two girls as he crashed down into the water with a loud splash. Kate and Natalie, both now drenched, stared in shocked surprise at Humphrey before laughing, pushing Humphrey over and proceeding to splash as much water as they could directly into his face.

Connor watched all this with amusement, getting up and making his way into the water, making sure to stay out of the spray from the others' splash fight. He waded in slowly, no one noticing him, and lay down on a large flat rock only a few inches below the water. Connor sipped from the creek as he watched the others play, the cool water flowing through his fur and moistening his slightly parched throat. The waves that Humphrey and the rest were making caused the water to rise and fall, getting water in Connor's nose and making him sneeze until he held his head higher.

As Connor watched, the splash fight began to calm down, Natalie and Kate getting tired of splashing Humphrey, and Humphrey no longer running away from them. As the splashing stopped, Humphrey walked over to Kate and lay down next to her.

"I found Connor" Humphrey told her, looking over at Connor who was looking off over the treetops at the distant, snow toped mountains lining the horizon.

"Really, where is he…" Kate said looking around until she spotted him "oh, why is he all the way over there?"

"He's usually uncomfortable with playing rough with others." Humphrey replied.

"Well, I think I'll go talk to him." Kate said, standing up and walking over to sit next to Connor.

"Hey Connor," Kate said, her voice apologetic.

"Hmm? Oh, hi" Connor replied, his mind returning to the present.

"Look, I'm really sorry about whatever I said that upset you so much yesterday" Kate said, her face down in regret and her eyes looking up pleadingly.

"It's okay, it's not your fault" Connor replied, trying to comfort Kate.

"Well, okay then, if you're not mad or anything" Kate said, sitting up straighter and looking less gloomy "Come over and sit with us."

"Sure, if you want" Connor answered, getting up and following Kate as she walked over and sat next to Humphrey.

They sat or lay down together, Kate and Connor on either side of Humphrey, and Natalie beside Connor. They all relaxed, letting the cool water flow through their fur and take with it both the dirt of everyday life, and the tension from their muscles, the pleasant sensations mixing with the gentle gurgle of the creek and swish of trees to nearly lull Connor to sleep. As his eyelids grew heavier and he found it harder and harder to focus, Connor slowly fell asleep. He dreamed of swimming down a small river, the sides of which were covered in lush and light green foliage that leaned out over the water and met in the middle to form a glowing green canopy. The light from an unseen sun shone between the leaves and branches, creating shafts of light that lit up the water like radiant, dark green pillars. The water, slightly cool to the touch, seemed to help hold him a float as it flowed through his fur, cooling his skin and washing over his face. Connor relaxed and let the water take him where it would, letting himself slowly drift down stream towards a bend in the river where the banks were particularly shallow and sandy. As he approached, he did not follow the course of the river as he had expected, but continued toward the bank. When he reached to shallows, the water rose and gently deposited him in a very shallow area of water. Connor was lying on his side, his head and neck resting on something soft and warm. He remained like this for an uncertain amount of time, not wanting to move from this very comfortable spot, until the world around him began to fade into darkness. In what seemed to be an instant, Connor woke.

As he slowly regained consciousness, He wondered where he was, the last he remembered he had been with Kate, Humphrey, and Natalie, down in the creek. Connor then noticed that he could still hear the water, but he was lying down with his head on something soft, warm, and gently moving. Connor slowly opened his eyes, blinking to adjust to the sunlight, and realized that half his vision was obstructed by grey fur. Then Connor recognized the scent, it was Natalie's. Feeling Connor move, Natalie glanced back at him, his head resting on her side, and smiled at the sleepy and slightly confused expression on his face.

* * *

Soon after Connor fell asleep, Kate and Humphrey decided to go.

"Well, I'm about ready to go." Humphrey said

"Me too." Kate replied.

Noticing Connor was asleep, still lying on his stomach with his head drooped, Humphrey said "Wow, I wonder why he's so tired?"

"Yeah," Kate added "We should probably wake him up."

"No, I'll stay here with him until he wakes up." Natalie interjected, glancing at the sleeping wolf next to her.

"Okay then, see you later." Kate replied, nodding farewell and turning with Humphrey to walk away.

"By." Natalie called after them as loudly as she dared, not wanting to wake Connor.

After a few minutes of silently waiting and thinking, Natalie decided that it would be a good idea to get Connor out of the water, so he didn't get sick. She gently nudged Connor up the bank, and in his sleeping state he complied, to an extent. Natalie stopped with Connor mostly out of the water, his tail and one of his back legs still dipped into the shallow water, and lay down next to him, huddled close to keep both of them warm. As they lay there, all of them that was out of the water slowly dried off from the sun and the heat their bodies naturally produced. About ten minutes later, Connor began to slump over, leaning towards Natalie and slowly resting his head on her side. Natalie, slightly surprised by this, was even more surprised that she didn't mind the contact, she actually liked it. This confused her, she had never thought about it before, but Connor's company always made her feel happier, which never happened with anyone else. She realized that this was the first time they had ever truly been alone together, even if he _was_ asleep. They stayed like that for at least an hour, Connor peacefully asleep, a small smile on his face, and Natalie happily silent, occasionally looking back at him as he slept.

* * *

After another fifteen minutes or so, Connor began to stir, gradually leaving his quiet slumber and returning to the real world. After a particularly large twitch, Natalie looked back to find Connor's eyes partly open and a bewildered expression on his face. His expression, along with his company, made her smile, happy to see him awake.

"Well, look who woke up." Natalie said in a quiet voice.

"Hmh? Oh, hello." Connor replied sleepily, a slight smile still on his face.

They stayed like that for a while, Natalie looking back at Connor, Connor looking up at Natalie. Eventually Connor asked "How long have I, we, been here?"

"I'd guess about an hour and a half." Natalie replied very casually.

"Oh, where are Kate and Humphrey?" Connor replied, noticing their absence.

"They left a little bit after you fell asleep, I stayed so we didn't have to wake you up." Natalie answered

"We should probably go find them." Connor said, somewhat unhappy at the thought of moving.

"Yeah, I guess so." Natalie replied, feeling the same as Connor. At this, Connor lifted his head and unsteadily made it to his feet, Natalie following suit, though much less wobbly.

They both made their way back to the clearing where Humphrey was often to be found, each enjoying the others company in quiet bliss. When they arrived, they found Humphrey wandering around near the edge of the woods opposite Connor and Natalie. Noticing both of them, Humphrey turned and trotted off to meet them in the middle, a grin on his face.

"Nice to see you finally woke up." Humphrey said to Connor, sitting down in front of the two.

"Yeah," Connor replied, almost guiltily "So, where is Kate?" Connor added, changing the subject.

"She had to take care of some alpha stuff." Humphrey said, sounding unhappy about it.

"That doesn't sound very fun." Natalie added.

"Yeah, and because of that I've had nothing to do, I couldn't find Salty, Mooch, or Shaky. I've just been walking around here and kicking sticks around, bored out of my mind." Humphrey said, sounding both bored and slightly exasperated, "Hey, I've got an idea, let's go log sledding!"

"Sure" Connor replied.

"That sounds good." Natalie answered.

The three made their way up the hill Humphrey and his other friends usually used for log sledding, Humphrey in the lead with Connor and Natalie following close behind. As they walked, Connor and Natalie stole glances at each other, both happy for the other's company, but neither completely sure what to do about it. They walked close together, a mere few inches apart, both enjoying the proximity, neither wanting to leave the other's side. When they weren't looking at each other, they were admiring to the view, seeing the forest for the trees along with the light blue and slightly cloudy sky and distant mountains capped with bright white snow interlaced with green trees and grey stone walls. The trees around them were turning different shades of red, ranging from a dark brownish red to a very yellow orange. The leaves and twigs that had fallen from the trees littered the ground like a huge, colorful, and slightly crunchy carpet, making the ground a vast design of different patterns, no two areas quite the same. Humphrey, oblivoius to the goings on behind him, walked on, searching for the perfect log to ride in.


	5. Chapter 5

**Sorry this chapter took so long to put up, things just haven't been working in my favor. First, I went to a sleep-away track camp for about 5 days, though I did get to write about half of this chapter on paper in my spare time. After that, I came home and typed up what I had written then got stuck for a while. Then, when I open my laptop, I find that it's broken, but I'm not worried because I think 'I'll just get it fixed'. Then I don't get around to it for a while because of other obligations and by procrastination and, when I do, I find out I will have to reinstall my OS, potentially wiping everything off my computer. I then decided to try to type it back up on my iPad from what I had written on the papers that I still have, making me redo any progress I made on the digital copy. I then used the family desktop which is right near the TV, making it that much harder to focus with my siblings either watching TV or playing videogames. I don't mean to rant, just wanted to explain my self (and blow off some steam), sometimes I get too detailed for my own good, but on with the story. This is a long chapter, so enjoy.**

* * *

Reaching Out

Chapter 5

As the three walked up the hill, Humphrey in the lead with Natalie and Connor following, Humphrey would point out the paths that he had sledded down, obstacles he'd overcome, and even a couple of places where he'd crashed. They even happened to walk by both where Humphrey, Mooch, Shaky, and Salty had first started log sledding, and where Humphrey last saw Kate before Alpha school. Humphrey stopped for a bit, a distant look in his eyes.

"If I'd known, back then, what would happen in spring, I would have been a lot less depressed." Humphrey said, thinking back to the sad winter he'd sent missing Kate.

"Yeah, you looked miserable those first few weeks." Connor commented, also remembering the sad stupor Humphrey had been in for a while after Kate left.

"I'm just glad you ended up feeling better." Natalie added, remembering how Humphrey had cheered up somewhat after he realized that it wasn't the end of the world, and Kate would be coming back eventually, though not soon enough for him.

"Now that I'm married to her, I'll never have to worry about that again." Humphrey said, proud that he had finally achieved the thing in his life that mattered the most.

They continued on, everyone thinking about some time in the past. With their minds elsewhere, time passed quickly and in no time, they were at the top of the hill, looking down a well-used path rubbed smooth by log sledding.

"Wait here; I'll go get a log." Humphrey said, running off into the woods.

Connor and Natalie watched as Humphrey disappeared into the trees, then sat down, an awkward silence slowly growing between them.

The silence lasted until Natalie finally spoke up, asking "So, have you ever done log sledding before?"

"No, but I've seen Humphrey and salty and the rest do it and it looked like fun." Connor replied, happy to have something to say.

"Yeah, me neither, but it does look a bit dangerous." Natalie added, remembering all the times she'd seen Humphrey and his crew go flying through the air after a bad crash.

"He's gotten a lot better, though I still don't think he's figured out the brakes." Connor replied.

"I'm back!" Humphrey yelled "Were you talking about me, because my tail was twitching."

"No, you're just weird." Connor called back, snickering to himself.

"Very funny." Humphrey retorted, obviously sarcastic.

Humphrey came out of the woods, his front paws on the back of the log, and his back legs pushing so that it slid smoothly across the ground.

"Everybody on," Humphrey said "Natalie, you can sit in the front if you want, it's the best spot."

"Sure." Natalie replied, jumping into the front of the log.

"And Connor, you can go in the middle, and I'll sit in the back and steer." Humphrey suggested.

"Great, so how exactly does this work?" Connor asked, sounding both nervous and excited.

"It's pretty simple, just lean to the side to turn, try not to stick anything outside the log, and hold on tight so bumps don't throw you off." Humphrey instructed.

"Okay," Natalie responded "so, have you figured out how to stop yet?"

"No, not yet," Humphrey answered, Natalie and Connor looking at each other with wide eyes "you don't need to though, the hill levels out and that's where you stop."

"I guess that's better than being stopped by a tree." Connor joked.

Humphrey chuckled, "Everybody ready?" He asked, preparing to push off.

"Yes" Connor and Natalie replied simultaneously, glancing at each other with smiles.

"Okay then, let's go" Humphrey said, pushing the log forwards, causing it to tip over the edge and begin it's fast and hectic descent to the bottom.

The start of the ride was slower, the log sliding smoothly and taking wide, sweeping turns as Humphrey maneuvered around rocks, trees, and bushes. Pretty soon, though, the log began to pick up speed, the red and yellow leaves on the ground whisking up in a mesmerizing whirlwind of color and light. In front of the sledders loomed a large cliff face, the path leading to what appeared to be a cave.

"Everybody lean back" Humphrey yelled so he would be heard over the roar of the log sliding along the ground.

Natalie, Connor, and Humphrey all leaned back at the same time and, because of the way they were sitting, Humphrey in the far back with Natalie in the front and Connor just behind her, Natalie's head rested on Connor's chest. Connor, slightly shocked by the contact, smiled at Natalie as she looked up into his eyes and smiled back. Time seemed to stretch, every moment lasting an hour, each second a lifetime.

Humphrey, not missing the moment, smiled and thought to himself '_Wow, they really are perfect for each other. I can't believe it took this long to finally realize it'_. Seeing the two, their faces filled with happiness, brought back memories of the times he had been struck dumb by the simple presence of Kate. Two memories in particular came to mind, the first of which was the moment he'd seen Kate coming to the Moonlight Howl, and the second of which was on the train ride back to Jasper when he had seen Kate sleeping, the moonlight flowing in, lighting up the edges of her fur and making it seem to glow with silver light.

Natalie could feel herself relaxing, her head resting more heavily against Connor's chest, and the tightness in her muscles, from the from the adrenalin rush of the ride and its inherent danger, ebbing away to be replaced by a sense of security, safety, and content coming from the intimacy of the situation. The warmth radiating through Connor's fur released the tension in her neck and soothed her mind, drawing it away from the problems of everyday life and into the present, every sight, every thought, every fleeting moment lived to its fullest.

Connor and Natalie were wrenched back to reality when, as they exited the tunnel, Humphrey, in a shocked and scared voice, muttered "Oh no", his eyes wide and focused on a point ahead of the sled. Connor and Natalie both glanced back at Humphrey and, seeing the stunned and panicked expression on his face, looked forward to see what had had such a strong effect on him. A large tree had fallen across the path, blocking it completely. This would have not been such a big problem if it had not been for the fact that both sides of the path were enclosed by steep rock walls, making any chance of a detour impossible. Jumping off wasn't an option either, the sled was moving too fast, and the ground was covered with rock chips that had fallen off the cliff face. Any attempt to jump off would only result in severe injury, burns, cuts, and maybe even broken bones.

Humphrey's mind raced as he tried to figure a way out of this situation. After running through as many options as he could think of, Humphrey finally decided that the only way out was to do the one thing he wanted to do least, hit the tree. The plan was to hit the tree in such a way that the log they were sledding on would launch the three over the tree and hopefully onto something soft, such as a bush.

"Okay, I have an idea," Humphrey told Connor and Natalie "When we hit the tree, I'll wedge the end under the bottom and use it to launch us over, so when I say jump, jump as high as you can and role when you land."

"Okay then" Connor and Natalie responded, but after the plan actually sank in, Connor asked "Wait, _hit_ the tree?"

"Yeah, hit the tree," Humphrey replied "don't worry, I've done it before."

The sled continued to shoot forward, no longer gaining speed, but not slowing down either. "Ready." Humphrey shouted, a few seconds from impact, at which everyone prepared to leap over the tree. The moment before the log smashed headlong into the fallen tree, Humphrey yelled "JUMP", and as the log hit, it propelled the riders up and over, high into the air. Humphrey, having been in the back, flew the highest, but was lucky enough to end up in a tree. Connor and Natalie were far less lucky, they were heading straight for an open space of hard packed dirt. Seeing this, Connor grabbed Natalie as they flew through the air and pulled her to his chest, turning so that he was on the bottom and would take the brunt of the impact. The two plummeted to earth, and when they hit, a distinct snapping sound could be heard accompanied by a loud, pained yelp. Connor had landed with his front left leg underneath both of them, and because of the brutal force of the impact, Connor's leg broke, flooding him with both shock and searing pain. Natalie, dazed, tried to get up, and, in doing so, pressed on Connor's now broken leg, causing him to let out a miserable whine and pass out.

"Oh, my head," Natalie groaned to herself, then called out "Humphrey, where are you?"

"Up here." Humphrey replied from his tree.

"Connor, are you all right?" Natalie asked, panicking when she got no reply, "Connor? Connor!" Natalie yelled, running back to the motionless body of Connor.

"What? What's wrong?" Humphrey shouted, hearing Natalie's exclamation as he tried to get out of the tree.

"Oh no, no no no no no no no, don't be dead, don't be dead" Natalie mumbled in her panic. Natalie nuzzled Connor's leg, causing him to jerk and let out a small cry, even in his unconscious state. Natalie, noticing that the leg she had just touched was broken, let out a cry of both relief and fear. "Humphrey, help me! Connor's leg is broken." Natalie yelled, attempting to move Connor so that his broken leg was on top of his body, relieving any pressure on the injury.

"Wow, that's not good." Humphrey commented, walking up behind Natalie and looking down at the still form in front of them.

"We have to get Eve, help me carry him to my den, it's not far." Natalie commanded, lifting Connor's shoulders onto her back.

"Okay, let's go, quickly though" Humphrey said, lifting Connor's hips and lower back up onto his shoulders.

* * *

Natalie and Humphrey slowly picked their way across the forest and back Natalie's den. The trip took much longer than it usually would have, both of them being very careful not to jostle or drop Connor. Every time they had to drop down any more than an inch Connor would let out a quiet, pained moan as pain stabbed through his unconscious body. When they did reach Natalie's den, they carefully placed Connor in the back of the den, his broken leg on top of a pad of leaves resting on his chest.

As soon as Connor was situated, Natalie said "Go get Eve, I'll stay here with him". She watched as Humphrey ran out of the den and through the woods on his way to Eve's and Winston's den. When Humphrey was no longer in sight, Natalie turned around, laid down next to Connor, and stared into his face, their noses a mere hair's breadth apart. She could feel him breathing, the warm, moist air rushing down her muzzle, the slow, constant rise and fall of his chest reassuring her that Connor was not, as she had feared before, in danger of his life. Confused thoughts poured through her mind, one of which formed on her tongue in the form of a whispered question, "Do I love him?" The question hung in the air like an uncomfortable noise, forcing ones attention whether they liked it or not. Luckily for Natalie, Humphrey and Eve arrived quickly, rushing in tired and out of breath.

"What happened?" Eve asked, rushing forward to Connor's side.

"We were log sledding and a tree had fallen in the way. We hit it and I ended up in a tree, I couldn't see what happened to Connor." Humphrey answered.

"We were going to land on a big open space of hard dirt, and Connor grabbed me and put himself underneath me, so he hit the ground first." Natalie added, picking up where Humphrey left off.

"Well, looks like you found someone special." Eve commented to Natalie, then after taking a closer look, she added "I have to reset the bone; you may not want to watch."

Eve reached down, grasped Connor's leg above and below the break and, with a quick movement, straightened the leg and aligned the bone so it would heal correctly. Connor cried out in pain, his face tightening in agony, even though his sleep.

"I'm glad he won't remember that. Humphrey, get me some sticks, leaves, and sap for a splint. Natalie, stay here with him." Eve ordered, following Humphrey out of the den to return to her den and retrieve some medicinal plants to help with the healing and lessen the pain.

Natalie was, once again, alone with the unconscious Connor, left to think and watch, her heart aching for the pain of the wolf on the ground in front of her. Natalie lied down in front of Connor and nuzzled his face lightly, at which Connor smiled, his face peaceful and his body relaxing in spite of the pain.


End file.
